Overcoming multi‐resistant leishmania treatment by nanoencapsulation of potent antimicrobials

Leishmaniasis corresponds to a group of neglected tropical diseases caused by flagellated protozoa belonging to the Leishmania genus. This widely spread illness is found in over 90 countries in tropical and sub-tropical regions and also in southern Europe. As parasites exclusively infect highly phagocytic cells (macrophages), this aspect can be exploited for targeted delivery making use of nanoparticles. Drug-loaded nanoparticles have been proposed for improving the bioavailability of classical drugs commonly in use as standard leishmania therapy, to overcome parasitic resistance and side effects and to improve treatment efficacy. Infected macrophages are expected to recognize drug-loaded nanoparticles, which undergo phagocytosis releasing the drug inside the macrophages. This approach can further be exploited for the development of nanovaccines. This paper provides an overview of the current disease status worldwide, its classical pharmacological treatments and how these can be improved by the use of featured nanoparticles specifically tailored for such a complex disease. Several types of nanoparticles have been proposed while others have already reached clinical trials. (c) 2020 Society of Chemical Industry